Popular Entertainment: Helping our Socie

         Popular entertainment is the heart of excitement and activity in the world. Despite the dominance of popular entertainment in our lives, many people continue to object to playing video games or using social networking sites because they believe these activities are worthless. However, Facebook has helped connect people from abroad, the History Channel has allowed people to learn about the experience of the World Wars, and the Xbox has provided for a convenient way to have fun and relieve stress on the weekends. Without these services, society would be separated, uninformed, and rather mundane. Although popular entertainment can serve as a distraction, it is an inherent part of society that keeps the public happy and informed.
         Entertainment provides a way to relax, and creates a good balance between stressful working days and resting. We live in a society where people are almost always pressed for time, and stress accumulates throughout the day. For example, my piano teacher has a packed working schedule. He wakes up at 5:30 in the morning, and begins his teaching job at Catholic University. By about noon, he drives home, and begins teaching private lessons in his studio. Finally at 7:00, after about twelve hours of straight working, he is stressed out and tired, and needs to rest. At this time, my piano teacher likes to watch sports, or listen to music performances on YouTube. These activities help keep his mind off of his job, and simply allow him to relax his state of mind. After some entertainment, my piano teacher can be sure that he'll start off the next day fresh and stress-free. Popular entertainment allows people like my piano teacher to have a balanced lifestyle of working and relaxing; and keeps them motivated and happy to continue working.
         Not only does popular entertainment help people relax, but it helps educate the public through interesting and exciting means. There is no better way to learn than through a memorable experience; popular entertainment serves this role. The History Channel is one of my favorite television channels, and it broadcasts engaging documentaries. I watched a Vietnam War documentary recently, and learned about the Battle of Saigon. The acting in the documentary helped characterized the key leaders involved in the battle, and the storyline helped me feel emotionally attached to the Vietnamese refugees who suffered. The learning experience from the documentary was so effective for me that I even created a project based off of the events at Saigon the next day. Documentaries on television, with developed storylines and good acting, provide a captivating learning experience for its viewers.
         Popular entertainment is found everywhere, and has had a profound effect on not only how people have fun, but also on how people relax, learn, and interact with others. Although some people see popular entertainment as a distraction to education and social life, it is actually one of the reasons that people are able to learn about new subjects and make new friends. Popular entertainment will never die out, and as much as my mom will continue to nag me to stop watching television, I will remember all the fun that I have had, and information that I have learned from the History Channel and other shows.